Voting that counts

Students could change politicians' views

Voters ages 18 to 24 have the potential to "get the political parties to change their views" if there was a significant increase in young voter turnout, political science professor Bob Roberts said.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau Web site, only 36.1 percent of U.S. citizens between the ages of 18 and 24 cast a ballot in the November 2000 presidential election out of the 50.7 percent registered voters in this age group.

"The theory is that a huge increase in young voters would force politicians to change their positions on issues, and could lead to a third party," Roberts said.

In a survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, 20.9 percent of registered non-voters said their reason for not voting was because they were too busy or had conflicting work or school schedules.

A lack of interest was 12.2 percent of non-voters' reason for not voting, and 10.2 percent said they were out of town.

"College-age students face the dilemma of living away from home," Roberts said. "It is a hassle to get an absentee ballot or to register in a new area. These three factors make it inconvenient to vote."

Many young voters do not know how to register to vote or how to cast a ballot, which impacts voter turnout.

"I was [at JMU] when I was 18 — during the 2000 presidential election — and I didn't vote," senior Tom Deary said. "I know other people who got absentee ballots, but I didn't know how."

Deary wasn't sure if he would vote in the upcoming election.

Sophomore Lindsey Jones said she would vote in the November election.

Junior Charity Gaston's parents live in Idaho, but she has registered to vote in Harrisonburg for the November election.

"I registered here to get residency," Gaston said. "I think our age group is not informed enough about the candidates and they don't focus enough on our age group."

Prior to the voting age being lowered from 21 to 18 in 1971, there was higher voter turnout.

"When we lowered the age, younger voters didn't feel like their vote really made a difference," Roberts said.

In 1972, 49.2 percent of voters age 18 to 24 voted out of the 58.9 percent of registered voters in that age group, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Young voters, like senior Palmer Smith, often feel that politicians aren't focusing on them and also feel as if their votes do not count.

"We're at the magical age where we've worn off the claptrap forced on us in grade school and we have yet to convolute ourselves into believing that our vote actually counts," Smith said.

Many of the current key issues in the political race have been tax cuts, Medicare and Social Security.

"I don't pay taxes, so that's not much of incentive for me to vote," Deary said.

Jim Josefson, assistant professor of political science at Bridgewater College, said young voters lack identification with any kind of political group.

"Young people are more likely to see themselves as individuals rather than a part of a large group," Josefson said. "They don't think of themselves as Republicans or Democrats, and they tend to identify with the particular segment of the consumer culture that they are associated with. They don't spend any time with politics.

"Forty years ago, people identified with a political group, got information on them and voted," Josefson said.

Josefson also added that if someone wants to win an election, he or she wants to be able to control the electorate. He said it is conceivable that political parties would try to do this by controlling young people's votes.

"Young people are chaotic and more concerned with their personal lives," Josefson said. "Politicians focus on the boomers — the age group that they know will vote."

In the 2000 election, 72.2 percent of those ages 65 to 74 cast a ballot out of the 78.8 percent of registered voters, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Web site — a 91.6 percent voter turnout.

Roberts said many college students don't view themselves as liberal or conservative, and they have very negative views on politics.

"They are much more socially liberal in that they support gay rights, and they aren't particularly religious," Roberts said. "They are caught between very different views, and find it hard to find politicians to fit their mold."

Roberts added that key issues, such as reform on college tuition, won't impact those in college at this time. "It's too far down the line," he said.

According to Roberts, Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean counted on a large number of votes from younger voters in Iowa and in New Hampshire.

"Young voters didn't materialize in the caucus in Iowa or in the primaries," Roberts said.

There are 15,666 people who are registered to vote in the City of Harrisonburg and 1,095 voted in the democratic primary.